Directories are a great resource of Backlinks, Here is a great resource of directories!

As a Calgary marketing company, I’m always looking to provide great value for my clients and great information to you. Here’s another great post on directories. I have compiled a phenomenal list Of Internet directories for you.

Local business directories are a big factor in your company’s internet presence and online reputation. Local directories comprise of everything from Yelp!, Angie’s List and Judy’s Book to City Square, MojoPages and 100s of other location-based directories. Today, I want to talk about three reasons that you should submit your business to local business directories.

Branding and Backlinks

Any company that has been around for any amount of time would tell you how important branding is for growth. Branding online is equally as important as traditional; local business directories means as it gives- your business one more place to advertise. Now you’re thinking “OK, that’s great, but outside of directories like Yellow Book and Angie’s List, if people don’t visit these sites how will they see my listing?” That’s where the search engines come in… Search engines want to give the searcher the most valuable information as quickly as possible, so not only will they display websites of the companies that the search engine believes relate to what you are looking for, they will also provide local listings, news, images, videos, and related directories among its results for the search term. This gives you more fishing lines in the water to hook a new customer and it is another opportunity to get your company name in front of the searcher.

New Visitors and Incoming Web Traffic

While many traditional web directories don’t provide much impact on new visitors to your website, local directories such as Angies List, SuperPages, and Yellow Book do still provide valuable referrals for your business. These business listing sites are also more often trusted than other places on the web or directories. Business listings such as these are often considered to be more trustworthy because they allow existing customers to post reviews and testimonials or they have business certifications, or other standards, that must be met before they will post the business as part of their network. In doing so, new visitors acquire more insight on whether or not they can trust a company based on other clients’ testimonies of the company and that can either persuade potential clients towards higher credited companies… or detour the searcher from businesses with unfavorable reviews.

Search Engine Authority

Lastly and most importantly, local and international directories give you citations to build authority with the search engines like Google. The manner in which Google’s SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) are displayed, the area for Google Places displays predominantly at the top. While there are other ways to optimize your Google Places listing, one of the biggest factors is through citations. Citations are mentions of your name, address, and phone numbers on other sites. There are many places where you can get citations, however local business directories are the easiest way to build multiple citations quickly.